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L. G. BERGERON 61 R. B. BREWER.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLlCATION FILED AUG.8. 1914.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

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UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' LAWRENCE G. BERGERON, 01 LAKEWOOD, AND ROBERT B. BREWER, OF CLEVELAND OHIO.

' MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

.lpplication filed August 8, 1914. Serial No. 855,888.

BREWER, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact. description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to musical instruments and particularly to those of the percussion type which are pla ed by depressing keys or stops, and the ob ect of the invention is the provision of new and improved means for efiecting the-percussion whereby a single clear sharp blow may be given to the sounding member and" whereby the striking device may be withdrawn immediately after delivering this blow so as not to impede the Vibrations.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application we have illus: trated our invention as embodied in a set of chimes, and certain features of the said invention are particularly useful in connection with chimes and will be so claimed, while other features are susceptible of general use and are not so limited.

In these drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a single chime tube together with a percussion device of our invention, the latter being shown in longitudinal section; and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing a plurality of chime members with their various keys and connections, the chime members being shown in front elevation.

Describing the parts by reference characters, A represents a base or support of any suitable type and arranged to receive any desired number of chimes, while BB represent a pair of brackets projecting horizontally therefrom and arranged to support a chime tube C through themediu'm of a flexible cord D. IniFig. 2 the various chime tubes are shown at C (l C indicating acomplete octave, all of the members being closed at their upper ends to which these suspendin cords D are attached.

%ecured to the base or support A in the rear of each tube is our improved percussion device, consisting of a solenoid 1 held in vertical position by suitable brackets 2 and having projecting in each direction a hollow axial guide tube 3-3 here shown as extend-,

ing uninterruptedly through the solenoid. Slidably mounted inside of this tube is an armature 4 having at its upper end a fixed pin or peg 5, and loosely received within the tube 3 above the armature is a striking member 6 having at its lower end a socket adapted to receive the peg 5 and at its upper end a striking head 7 preferably cushioned byv means of felt, rubber, or other elastic material. The closed end of the tube G is provided with a rigid horizontal arm 8 which extends over and into the path of the striking member 6. The lower end of the tube 3 is provided with a suitable closure 10 receiving a threaded adjusting screw 11 to the upper end of which is attached a spring 12.

and buffer 13 arranged to cushion the fall of the armature.

The keys are illustrated at 15 15 ,-15 and are arranged to bring movable contact members 16 into engagement with fixed con- -tact members 17 so as to close the circuit through the battery 18 and the respective solenoids. In the present embodiment the movable ljcontacts 16 are connected to the one pole of their respective solenoids by lead wires 20 20 -20 respectively, the op: posite poles of the solenoids being connected to a common return wire 21.

The arrangement and adjustment of the screw 11 is such that the upper end of the armature l is normally somewhat below the upper end of the solenoid 1, while the length of the striking member 6 and its position relatively to the arm 8 is such that the distance between the head 7 and arm 8 is somewhat greater than the distance between the upper end of the armature and the upper end of the solenoid. Therefore upon the depression of any key 15 so as to close its circuit the armature 4 will be elevated abruptly, but will stop as soon as it reaches the position where it is traversed by the maximum number of lines of force, while the striking member 6, bein only loosely supported by this armature, will continue to ascend and will strike the arm 8 a resounding blow, after which it will drop vibrate without obstruction. However the arm 8 is preferably connected toa nodal point of the tube C, thus exercising a minimum disturbing action upon the vibrations. The blow can be repeated as'soon as the armature 4: has been permitted to fall entirely to its normal position in advance of a succeeding impulse. This permits the actio to be made as rapid as desired.

It will be understood thatthis embodi .ment is merely illustrative and that we do not confineourselves tothe details of conmember loosely mounted at one end of said armature, said armature being arranged for movement only within narrow limits and said striking member being arranged for mounte movement between wider limits.

- s 3. .A percussion device for the purpose de-' scribed comprising asolenoid, an armature movably supported therein, and'a striking member loosely mounted upon one end of said armature and separable therefrom 'in H the striking operation, said armature being normally maintained at one end of said solenoid and said striking member being arranged at the opposite end of said solenoid from theend at which said armature is normally maintained. v 4. A percussion device for the purpose described comprising a' solenoid, .means for supporting said solenoid in upright position, an armature loosely supported within said solenoid and arranged for vertical movement, means'normally supporting said 0 said armature at a point below the topsolenoidi and a striking member loosely ture and separable therefrom in the striking operation. r

5. A percussion device for the purpose described comprising a solenoid, means for supporting said solenoid in upright position, a guide member projecting above said solenoid,v a striking member movable with respect to said do member, and an armature within sai solenoid and movable along the axis thereof, said striking member be a ing arranged to rest loosely against said armature and separabletherefrom in the striking operation.

upon the upper end of said arma mean? 6. in a percussion device, in combination,

a solenoid, a hollow guide member prO ect- I ing from each end of said solenoid, an armature inside said solenoid and movable along the axis thereof," means carried by one of said guide members and arranged to support said armature normally with its 1 ends displaced axially from the corresponding ends of said solenoidfand a striking member loosely sleeved inside the other guide member and arranged to rest loosely againstsaid armature, whereby it will be expelled upon the energizing of said solenoid. a

. 7; In a musical instrument, in combina- "tion, a soundlng member of the percussiontype, an electromagnetic device, an armature therefor, and a striking member loosely supported upon said armature and arranged upon the energizing of said device to be thrown from said armature and against said sounding member. b

8. In a musical instrument, in combination, a sounding member ofthe percussion .type, a percussion member supported for vertical movement and arranged to strike said sounding member upon the conclusion of 'its upward movement, an electromagnetic device, and an armature looselysupporting said percussion member and coiiperating with said electromagnetic device and arranged and adapted upon the energizing of said device to elevate said percussion memher, the latter being separable from the armature in the striking operation 9.-In a musical instrument, in combination, a sounding member of the percussion type, a percussion member supported for vertical movement and arranged to strike said sounding member upon the conclusion of its upward movement, an electromagnetic device, and an armature cooperating with said electromagnei device and arranged and adapted upon the energizing of said device to elevate said percussion member, the range of movement of said percussion member being greater than the range of said armature.

10. In amusical instrument, the combination, with a sounding member of the percussion type and a striking member therefor, of a solenoid supported in upright position beneath said striking member, a vertically movable armature beneath said striking member and normally in loose supporting fingagement therewith, the striking member em striking operation, and means normally supporting said armature at a point below the position of said solenoid.

11. In a musical instrument, the combination, with a sounding member of the percussion type and a striking member therefor,

separable from the armature in the of a solenoid supported in upright tiositionv beneath said striking member, a vertically device operatively associated with said armature and adapted, when excited, to move same toward said striking member, the dis tance between the normal position of said striking member and said arm being greater than the free range of movement of said armature.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

LAWRENCE, G. BERGERON. ROBERT B. BREWER. Witnesses.

HAROLD E. SMITH, BRENNAN B. Wns'r. 

